History

Unhinged History

Written by SK Ashby

I thought we were over this, but apparently it's still a thing.

The New Jersey legislature will consider a resolution, introduced by State Senator Joe Kyrillos (R), that condemns Advanced Placement U.S. History for being some kind of anti-American hogwash the likes of which would make you want to join ISIS.

"It strikes me that there is an inordinate emphasis on political correctness and so-called balance that is designing potential curricula and guidelines," Kyrillos told The Auditor. "And the AP test doesn't properly portray our history, the beginnings of our country, its values and its unique role in the world, past and present."

According to the resolution, the framework the College Board adopted in 2012 "reflects a seemingly biased view of American history, overemphasizing the negative aspects of our nation's history while omitting and minimizing many of the positive aspects."

I've said this before, but it's been a while since the last time this subject came up so I'll say it again: this isn't patriotism.

There's nothing patriotic about the idea that we should whitewash history and present a more rosy picture of our past than is warranted. That's not patriotism; it's jingoism.

Conservative opposition to a full accounting of our history is increasingly easy to understand. Accepting a whitewashed version of history is the only way you could muster the arrogance required for saying that we are, unequivocally, the greatest nation in the history of ever.

Or, in Marco Rubio's case, the arrogance (or ignorance) required for asserting that America is uniquely righteous and just.

Manifest Destiny is the kind of thing you may learn about in Advanced Placement U.S. History.